Julia Morley is the amazing Mrs Globetrotter behind Miss World | World | News | Daily Express WORLD Julia Morley is the amazing Mrs Globetrotter behind Miss World JULIA MORLEY landed on the heavenly Indonesian island of Bali five days ago, since when she has been immersed in another world. Miss World, to be precise. At 73, the chairman and chief executive of this global institution emphasises she is as hands-on as ever. 06:53, Fri, Sep 6, 2013 Julia Morley at a Variety Club ball held in her honour in 2010 Under her watchful eye in the tropical heat a team of 900 staff and 137 contestants are busily gearing up for the finals of the world's most famous beauty pageant to be held in Jakarta on September 28. "This is the 34th country I've flown to since January," says the softly spoken widow of Miss World founder Eric Morley (he died in November 2000, aged 82).

"It's exhausting but I just love being here." It was in the throes of grief that Julia took the helm of the Miss World Organisation (MWO) and vowed to help it move with the times, having been Eric's right-hand woman since the couple married in 1960. He conceived the idea for the contest in 1951 when he was working for leisure giant Mecca. It was held that year at London's Lyceum Ballroom as part of the Festival Of Britain celebrations, featuring an international line-up of 26 beautiful women. By the time Miss World celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2001 that number had quadrupled and a global TV audience of 2.3 billion tuned in to watch. The BBC, which had been broadcasting the event since 1959, had ceased its coverage of the annual spectacle in the Eighties despite viewing figures at the time of 12.5 million. Although the contest has long been criticised by feminists for being demeaning to females, attracting protests and controversy over the decades, clearly the viewing public still held it in their affections.

"I believe the decision to take it off terrestrial TV was made by people who wanted change for change's sake," says Julia. "It made me realise that although I'm incredibly patriotic and I love Britain, it is not the end of the world if Britain's decision makers choose not to show it. After all, we are televised in over 186 countries and have a massive internet following with millions more viewers." While Julia speaks of having "amazing and fond memories of the past" she prefers to talk about her plans for the future, not least continuing to ensure that the competition moves with the times. That was why she put a stop to the contestants parading on stage in their bikinis a decade ago. "I think bikinis are wonderful when worn on the beach but not on a stage while someone is trying to interview you," she explains. "I believe I've changed the event into a truly international showcase of beauty, fashion, talent and culture, which brings nations together in a way that is unmatched by any other event, not even the Olympics. "It was very difficult after Eric died because I had a vision for the MWO but no experience in business. I'd never written a business plan or managed money before. They were things that Eric had always looked after.

"I had to borrow £5million in order to alter the direction of the business. I wanted to take it into tourism because I could see how that would increase turnover and help raise the Miss World profile." Julia's vision was on the money. Countries now bid fiercely to host the finals, aware of the potential lucrative impact on their economies - hardly surprising given that an estimated 14 per cent of the world's population watch it every year. South Africa's Sun City saw overseas visitor numbers treble during the four years that Miss World was broadcast from there from 1992. In 2000, when Miss World was held in the Maldives, low-season bookings soared by 30 per cent as a direct result and in 2006 host nation Poland bene-fited to the tune of £41million and the creation of more than 20,000 jobs. Meanwhile in 2010 after the resort of Sanya in China hosted the finals, international tourist figures rose by 42 per cent and international trade by 70 per cent. The city's mayor described this as the "Miss World effect".

Julia's plans for the next five years include expanding the Mr World contest she created in 2008 and, intriguingly, bringing back the former BBC series Come Dancing, which was started by Eric and ran for 50 years. "Almost at the same time as it pulled the plug on the annual Miss World coverage, the BBC decided Come Dancing was too old-fashioned and got rid of that too," she says. "Then it launched Strictly Come Dancing, which I think is brilliant. I love to see the stars having a go. But I still think there's a market for ordinary people learning to dance." For now, though, her mind is on this year's Miss World finals. As ever, contestants are aged between 17 and 25 and must not be married. Having each been crowned the most beautiful woman in their own country, they are spending this month taking part in a series of "challenges" which include posing in swimwear - strictly on a beach, of course - hitting the catwalk, showcasing their own charity projects and taking part in sports and talent competitions. Each girl also has three separate interviews with the judges and the winner will scoop the equivalent of around £75,000.

"We've got medical students, lawyers, architects and opera singers among the finalists," says Julia. "I know it's an old clich© but I truly believe beauty comes from within. After you've met someone who's attractive on the surface, if there isn't something within them that makes them kind and interesting you don't think about their face any more. "I'm not saying I want the cleverest girl to win. I want the girl who's going to be easiest to work with for a year during her reign, who's not afraid of getting dirty, or picking up a poorly baby in the slums in Haiti." She is referring to the staggering amount of global charity work done by the Miss World Organisation under the theme Beauty With A Purpose, which she devised in 1972. To date it has raised more than £300million. Julia with 2004 winner, Peru’s María Julia Mantilla I believe I've changed the event into a truly international showcase of beauty, fashion, talent and culture, which brings nations together in a way that is unmatched by any other event, not even the Olympics Julia Morley She says: "The true beauty of Miss World is Beauty With A Purpose. The work we do is so precious.

Recent projects include raising over £500,000 in Wales in the last year in support of children with terminal illnesses. In Devon we've provided a home where parents of seriously ill children can go for respite and in the Philippines we arranged for a wonderful little girl called Sunshine to have life-saving heart surgery. "Eric would have been hugely proud of what we've achieved in the past 13 years. He was a very kind person and always ready to help any child in need." Barely will the crown have been placed on the head of this year's Miss World before Julia will be jetting off to oversee projects worldwide. But not before she has spent five days back in London. "A holiday for me is being at home with my German Shepherd rescue dog called Zak. Most of all I love spending time with my five grandchildren, including a new baby, each of them the epitome of true beauty." HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GLOBAL PAGEANT 1961: Rosemarie Frankland becomes the first British Miss World, crowned by comedian Bob Hope. 1965: Lesley Langley, a successful model, is the third British woman to win the Miss World title in five years.

1970: The first Miss World contest of the decade is interrupted by feminist protesters. 1975: Wilnelia Merced (Miss Puerto Rico) is crowned Miss World and goes on to become Mrs Bruce Forsyth. 1980: At Julia's behest, judges assess the personality and intelligence of the contestants as well as their vital statistics for the first time. 1983: The last UK winner of Miss World, Sarah-Jane Hutt from Poole, takes the title at London's Royal Albert Hall. 1986: Halle Berry, then Miss USA, above, fails to win Miss World but goes on to become an Oscar-winning Hollywood star. 1992-95: The Miss World finals move to Sun City, South Africa, and viewers increase to 1.8 billion. Contestants are welcomed by President Nelson Mandela. 2001: Miss Nigeria, Agbani Darego, becomes the first black African winner. Related articles stumbleupon Email Comment Miss World is the oldest of the Big Four international beauty pageants, along with Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth.

Although Miss Universe has become arguably the grandest of the competitions (thanks to the influence of Donald Trump ), it is something of a misnomer, as there never seem to be any red-faced Martians, lithe-figured Mandalorians or genocide-inclined Klingons taking part. Miss Earth has only been going since 2001 and features more environmental awareness than its three rivals. Miss International was founded in 1960 and has been dominated by the same country that heads this particular list. In case you were wondering, there is also a Miss Globe, Miss Model of the World and Miss Supranational to keep beauty queens busy all year round. There are even “Mrs.” versions of Miss World and Miss Universe aimed at married women. “Beauty with a Purpose” is the motto of the Miss World organization. The organization, founded in 1951 by British entertainment guru Eric Morley, faced challenges in its history as it was labeled misogynistic, chauvinistic and anachronistic. Organizers stressed the charity operations of Miss World, raising millions worldwide whilst sending the reigning Miss World to locations around the globe to bring a smile (and the press) to areas that were suffering from deprivation.

Regardless of whether you approve or disapprove, beauty pageants are big business and wildly popular. The 1979 Miss World competition was watched by over 500 million people, and for those who figured it was an event suffering from apathy and dying interest, the 2012 event was broadcast to over a billion viewers. Even the epitome of empowered influential women, Oprah Winfrey , was a beauty queen in her youth. She won the 1971 Miss Black Tennessee contest at the tender age of 17. This list is ordered by the number of individual winners a country has produced, with ties being broken by the amount of second places (tactfully rendered as first runner-up by Miss World organizers) and then third places (second runner-up) as necessary. Special mentions go to: France, who only won once (in 1953) but have had three first runners-up and two second runners-up; Israel, who also won once (in 1998) but had one first runner-up and an impressive six second runners-up; and Colombia, who surprisingly have never won but have come close with four first runners-up and one second runner-up.

So let the beauty parade commence: 10. Argentina: 2 winners and 2 first runners-up Latin America is renowned for being a production line of beauty queens. Peru and Brazil have also had winners in Miss World, but Argentina enjoys second place (or first runner-up) from among the South American nations. The country’s first win was in 1960 when Norma Cappagli claimed her prize of a crown and a sports car. In 1978 it was Silvana Suárez’s turn to remind everyone that Argentina could produce world-class beauties as well as world-class footballers. 9. Australia: 2 winners, 2 first runners-up and 4 second runners-up Australia has been much more successful at Miss World than its close neighbor New Zealand (which has had 2 first runners-up, though). The abundant beaches, surfing, sunny climates and constant running from the cornucopia of giant insects clearly have a positive effect on Australian beauty queens. A first victory came about in 1968 thanks to a librarian called Penelope Plummer and a second win followed shortly afterwards, when Belinda Green won in 1972. 8.

South Africa: 2 winners, 4 first runners-up and 6 second runners-up The Rainbow Nation has an impressive record in Miss World, with a total of 12 competitors involved in the top three spots. Penelope Coelen was South Africa’s first winner, back in 1958. Anneline Kriel won for the country in 1974, although she had initially been the first-runner up. However, Miss Kriel was promoted after that year’s winner promptly resigned her crown. Kriel later starred a cheesy martial arts film called Kill and Kill Again. 7. Iceland: 3 winners and 1 second runner-up Who would have thought this isolated nation, famous for its majestically rugged landscape and houses with colorful roofs, would also be renowned for the beauty of its female population? Crisp clean air and plenty of omega-3 fatty acids in their fish-rich diet have probably helped the island win Miss World in 1985 (Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir), 1988 (Linda Pétursdóttir) and 2005 (Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir). 6.

Jamaica: 3 winners and 3 second runners-up Beauty queens from the Caribbean have impressed the Miss World judges on many occasions, but the biggest winner of the region is Jamaica. Carole Crawford was the first Jamaican Miss World, winning in 1954. The next winner was Cindy Breakspeare, who won in 1976. She went on to meet the legendary Bob Marley and is the mother of the reggae superstar’s youngest son, Damian Marley. The most recent Jamaican winner was in 1993, when Lisa Hanna claimed the crown. Hanna later became a politician, has a Master in Arts degree and is the current Jamaican Minister of Youth and Culture. 5. Sweden: 3 winners and 1 first runner-up Scandinavian women have a reputation for beauty which has been upheld by a number of Swedish Miss World winners. Sweden won both of the first two Miss World pageants, in 1951 and 1952, with Kiki Håkansson (who controversially was crowned whilst wearing a bikini) and May-Louise Flodin providing the country with its champions.

Sweden had to wait 25 years for Mary Stävin to become its third winner, in 1977. Stävin’s win raised her profile and allowed her to rub shoulders with the world’s most famous spy with a role in the James Bond films Octopussy and A View to a Kill. 4. USA: 3 winners, 5 first runners-up and 2 second runners-up The USA has enjoyed great success in Miss World competitions, notching up a first victory in 1973. That year’s winner, Marjorie Wallace, was stripped of her title because of her celebrity lifestyle, which included an affair with Tom Jones. In 1990 Gina Tolleson took the title home for the USA and the third winner was Alexandria Mills, who won in 2010. Surprisingly, a woman often considered one of the most beautiful people in the world, failed to win for the USA in 1986. However, the fifth runner-up of that year ended up winning an Oscar 16 years later and became better known to the world as the actress Halle Berry . 3.

India: 5 winners and 1 first runner-up Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000) are the five stunning Indian women who have won Miss World, a competition that India won four times in seven years. Faria became a doctor, Rai became a respected actress, Hayden wrote a book, Mookhey gained a diploma in computer sciences and Chopra is a very successful actress and singer who once considered software engineering as a career. Indian contestants have proved that intelligence and personality go hand-in-hand with their beauty. 2. UK: 5 winners, 6 first runners-up and 4 second runners-up The UK has a terrific track record at Miss World, with 15 competitors managing to score top three places. However, the competition was held in London from 1951 until 1989 (when Hong Kong hosted) giving British beauty queens a home-field advantage.

This is evident in the dates of UK victories: 1961 (Rosemarie Frankland), 1964 (Ann Sidney), 1965 (Lesley Langley), 1974 (Helen Morgan) and 1983 (Sarah-Jane Hutt). It has been a barren 31 years for the UK, made more depressing by the fact that Morgan had to step down after it was revealed she had an infant child at the time of victory and was involved in another woman’s divorce. However, in 2012 Miss United Kingdom, Sophie Moulds, was first runner-up – could the British Isles be making a comeback? 1. Venezuela: 6 winners, 2 first runners-up and 4 second runners-up Anyone who knows the first thing about international beauty pageants will know being a Venezuelan beauty queen is a big deal, but it comes with the burden of great expectations. Six Miss World winners, six Miss International champions, two Miss Earth victors and seven Miss Universe titleholders are testament to the importance of being a beauty queen in this Latin American nation.

Susana Duijm (1955), Pilín León (1981), Astrid Carolina Herrera (1984), Ninibeth Leal (1991), Jacqueline Aguilera (1995) and Ivian Sarcos (2011) demonstrate that Venezuelan dedication to and intense training in becoming a beauty queen are second to none. 287 Shares Countries With The World's Most Beautiful Women - WorldAtlas.com Society Countries With The World's Most Beautiful Women Ranked by total number of combined Miss Universe and Miss World beauty contest winners, Venezuela surely has some of the world's most attractive ladies. Olivia Culpo at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. Culpo was a Miss Rhode Island, Miss USA, and Miss Universe Winner in 2012. She is also an accomplished cellist. Since beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, and considering that beauty certainly comes from all parts of the world, it can be difficult to assert that one nation's females' relative beauties are greater than that of another nation.

However, we have made the best attempt possible to rank such physical characteristics by means of ranking countries by the sum of their title-holders in two of the world's most competitive international beauty pageants. Namely, these are Miss World and Miss Universe. 6. United Kingdom (5 Miss World Winners) In terms of beautiful women, the United Kingdom ranks sixth in the world, gifting the world the opportunity to appreciate the stunning beauties of 5 ladies who went on to win the title of Miss World for their country. Rosemarie Frankland became the first British woman, and the seventh European one, to win the title of Miss World in 1961. Ann Sidney, Lesley Langley, and Helen Morgan also won the Miss World titles for United Kingdom in 1964, 1974, and 1983, respectively. The most recent Miss World winner from the United Kingdom was Sarah-Jane Hutt, who achieved the title in the year 1983. 5. Sweden (3 Miss World, 3 Miss Universe) Swedish women are often seen as both beautiful and independent, and have managed to woo the world with their charms for ages.

Sweden can thus boast of producing 3 Miss World and 3 Miss Universe winners. Hillevi Rombin Schine was the first Miss Universe winner representing Sweden, and the one who won the title in 1955, becoming the fourth Miss Universe winner in the world. Sadly, in 1996, she became the first Miss Universe to pass away, doing so amidst a plane crash in 1996. Margareta Arvidsson and Yvonne Ryding were the other two Miss Universe winners from Sweden, and they won the title in the years 1966 and 1984, respectively. In 1951, Kiki Håkansson became the first beauty queen to win the Miss World title for Sweden. Her crowning was surrounded by controversy when she wore a bikini during the ceremony, which was ridiculed by the Pope as well as some others in religiously conservative countries. The Swedish beauties May Louise Flodin and Mary Ann Catrin Stävin won the Miss World title for themselves in the years 1952 and 1977, respectively. 4.

Puerto Rico (5 Miss Universe, 1 Miss World) The spectacular Caribbean island of Puerto Rico has produced equally spectacular ladies, and several have won universal appreciation for their incredible beauty. 5 Miss Universe and 1 Miss World winner have hailed from this country. Wilnelia Merced, a model, was the first, and only, Puerto Rican to win the Miss World title, doing so in 1975. The first Puerto Rican lady to grab the much coveted Miss Universe title was Marisol Malaret, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1970. In 1985, Deborah Carthy-Deu, and in 1993, Dayanara Yari Torres Delgado, also won the Miss Universe titles from Puerto Rico. Delgado, a multi-talented model, actor, singer, and writer, acted as an ambassador for UNICEF and established the Dayanara Torres Foundation, funding the education of underprivileged children in her home country.

The last two Puerto Rican ladies to win the Miss Universe title were Denisse Maria Quiñones August, who was crowned Miss Universe in 2001, and Zuleyka Jerris Rivera Mendoza, who became Miss Universe 2006. 3. India (5 Miss World, 2 Miss Universe) Since ages of long ago, Indian women have been revered and loved for their elegant beauty and radiant looks. The definition of Indian beauty is associated with dynamism, with the mind-boggling ethnic diversity of India reflected in the distinctive appearances of the country’s beautiful ladies. Indian women have thus always managed to perform exceedingly well in international beauty contests, and India has produced 5 Miss World and 2 Miss Universe winners over the years. Reita Faria became the first Indian woman to be crowned Miss World in 1966. After winning the crown, instead of following the usual course of acting in films and continuing her modelling career, she went on to complete her medical studies and became the first Miss World winner to qualify as a doctor. In 1994, Aishwarya Rai was the next Miss World winner from India, and her stunning looks and elegant personality soon made her a world famous lady.

She became a superstar in India by acting in a lead position in a large number of Bollywood films, and she also participated in charities and also became a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival. Diana Hayden, Yukta Mookhey, and Priyanka Chopra also won Miss World titles for India, doing so in the years 1997, 1999, and 2000, respectively. Priyanka Chopra is presently one of the leading ladies of Indian cinema and enjoys huge stardom in the country. Sushmita Sen, in 1994, and Lara Dutta, in 2000, won the Miss Universe titles for India. Both are currently highly successful Bollywood actors with huge fan followings of their own. 2. United States (8 Miss Universe, 3 Miss World) The United States of America appears to have an abundance of beautiful women, becoming the second country in the world in terms of hosting the world’s most beautiful women. Marjorie Wallace was the first U.S. lady to win the Miss World beauty pageant in 1973.

However, soon after winning, she started dating a string of famous celebrities, and 104 days later was stripped off her title for failing to comply with the Miss World duties. Gina Tolleson and Alexandria Mills also won the Miss World titles for the USA in 1990 and 2010, respectively. The United States has also made a major impact in the Miss Universe beauty contest, where 8 glamorous ladies from the country have emerged victorious as Miss Universes since 1954. In 1954, Miriam Stevenson was the first Miss Universe winner hailing from the USA. Carol Morris, in 1956, Linda Bement, in 1960, Sylvia Hitchcock, in 1967, Shawn Weatherly, in 1980, Brook Lee, in 1997, and Olivia Culpo, in 2012, were the other seven Miss Universe winners to come from and represent the USA. 1.

Venezuela (7 Miss Universe, 6 Miss World) Latino women appear to have among them some of the most beautiful women in the world, as revealed by the statistics exhibiting Venezuela as the highest ranking country in the world in terms of the number of Miss World and Miss Universe winners hailing from this country. A staggering number of 7 Miss Universe winners and 6 Miss World winners have been from the South American nation of Venezuela. Maritza Sayalero became the first Venezuelan beauty to win the Miss Universe title in 1979. Her victory brought an immense joy to her countrymen, and thereafter many parents in Venezuela even named their daughters Martiza after her own name. The other Miss Universe winners from Venezuela were Irene Sáez (1981), Bárbara Palacios (1986), Alicia Machado (1996), Dayana Mendoza (2008), Stefanía Fernández (2009), and Gabriela Isler (2013). 1955 marked an important year in Venezuela, as this was when the country got its first Miss World winner, Susana Duijm.

Pilin Leon, Astrid Carolina Herrera, Ninibeth Leal, Jacqueline Aguilera, and Ivian Sarcos are the other Venezuelan beauties to win the Miss World titles, doing so in the years 1981, 1984, 1991, 1995, and 2011, respectively. This page was last modified on March 17, 2016. On WorldAtlas.com LIST OF MISS WORLD WINNERS LIST OF MISS WORLD WINNERS The following is a list of women who have won the Miss World title. Sun City, South Africa; Dubai , UAE ; Comoros Sun City Entertainment Centre Sun City, South Africa; Victoria Falls , Zimbabwe Sun City Entertainment Centre Sanya, China PR; Beijing , China PR; Ordos City , China PR; Shanghai , China PR Crown of Beauty Theatre stumbleupon Email Comment The beauty pageant scene is serious business in many parts of the world. And judging from the performance of countries that take these pageants the most seriously, effort seems to translate into results.

Yes, in general, nations that have the most sophisticated preparations for their prospective candidates — including beauty pageant schools, grueling fitness regimens, and even radical cosmetic surgery — win the most often. But what’s the big deal with beauty pageants in the first place? Apparently, there’s a lot at stake. Aside from elevating a country’s national pride, international beauty queens can become instant celebrities with assured bright futures ahead of them, most especially if the international crown brought home is among the most prestigious ones. Currently, Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth are the pageants most widely accepted to be among “The Big Four” — the pinnacles of international beauty pageant achievement. Here are the eleven countries, which have so far managed to collect the highest number of titles from the most prestigious and most prominent international beauty pageants: T10. Colombia (5 Titles) Via wallpapershome.com Title Winners: Luz Marina Zuluaga (1958 Ms. Universe), Stella Márquez (1960 Ms. International), Paulina Gálvez (1999 Ms. International), Jeymmy Vargas (2004 Ms.

International), Paulina Vega (2014 Ms. Universe) Colombia has won five Big Four titles, including the most recent edition of the Miss Universe pageant. The victory by Paulina Vega in 2014 was considered an important one in Colombia, as it was the first in a decade, and the country is known to take its beauty pageants very seriously. In fact, local Colombian pageants have been described as being cut-throat. The approach seems to be effective, however, as apart from the five crowns Colombia has won, it has also amassed twenty-one runner-up finishes. T10. Germany (5 Titles) Via parkerlebnis.de Title Winners: Petra Schürmann (Ms. World 1956), Marlene Schmidt (Ms. Universe 1961), Ingrid Finger (Ms. International 1965), Gabriella Brum (Ms. World 1980), Iris Klein (Ms. International 1989) Germany claimed its first major international title during the 1956 Miss World pageant, and 24 years later, Germany won Miss World again.

However, Gabriella Brum gave up the title just 17 hours after winning it. The media reported that Brum’s boyfriend, Hollywood cameraman Benno Bellenbaum, had spoken about being unhappy with Brum’s victory since it meant being separated from his girlfriend. Furthermore, Bellenbaum revealed to reporters that he had taken nude photographs of Brum. T8. Brazil (6 Titles) Via essenceoflatinas.forumotion.org Title Winners: Iêda Maria Vargas (Ms. Universe 1963), Martha Vasconcellos (Ms. Universe 1968), Maria da Glória Carvalho (Ms. International 1968), Lúcia Petterle (Ms. World 1971), Priscilla Meirelles (Ms. Earth 2004), Larissa Ramos (Ms. Earth 2009) Brazil may have won a Big Four title only six times, but within its first five wins, the country was the first nation to complete the Big Four set.

The “grand slam” of international beauty pageants was completed in 2004, when Priscilla Meirelles was named “Miss Earth,” the three other titles having previously been won by Brazilian contestants in past years. In fact, the set could have been completed earlier, but Miss Brazil only managed 1st Runner-up finishes in the 2000 and 2003 editions of Miss Earth. T8. Sweden (6 Titles) Via poznaimir.net Title Winners: Kicki Håkansson (Ms. World 1951), May-Louise Flodin (Ms. World 1952), Hillevi Rombin (Ms. Universe 1955), Margareta Arvidsson (Ms. Universe 1966), Mary Stävin (Ms. World 1977), Yvonne Ryding (Ms. Universe 1984) Sweden had the best possible start in Big Four pageants by winning the first one ever held. On July 29, 1951, a 24-year-old Kicki Håkansson took home the first ever Miss World crown.

In fact, Sweden won the title again the following year with May-Louise Flodin completing a rare back-to-back victory. Since then, Sweden has won another Miss World crown (1977) and two Miss Universe titles (1955, 1984). However, it has been thirty years since Sweden’s last Big Four win. 7. Australia (7 Titles) Via nydailynews.com Title Winners: Tania Verstak (Ms. International 1962), Penelope Plummer (Ms. World 1968), Belinda Green (Ms. World 1972), Kerry Anne Wells (Ms. Universe 1972), Jenny Annette Derek (Ms. International 1981), Kirsten Davidson (Ms. Australia 1992), Jennifer Hawkins (Ms. Universe 2004) Australia has won three of the Big Four titles, the Miss Earth pageant being the only one the country has yet to win. Nevertheless, Australia has achieved the Universe-World double, the achievement coming in 1972 when Kerry Anne Wells and Belinda Green won the Miss Universe and Miss World crowns, respectively.

Hopefully, the country can soon end its third decade-long drought in terms of winning Big Four beauty pageants. T4. United Kingdom / England (8 Titles) Via gentlemansstyle.com Title Winners: Rosemarie Frankland (Ms. World 1961), Ann Sydney (Ms. World 1964), Lesley Langley (Ms. World 1965), Valerie Susan Holmes (Ms. International 1969), Linda Hooks (Ms. International 1972), Helen Morgan (Ms. World 1974), Sarah-Jane Hutt (Ms. World 1983), Helen Fairbrother (Ms. International 1986) The United Kingdom is one of only three countries to have won the Miss World title at least five times, the country having done so in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1974, and 1986. However, the mention of the accomplishment often raises eyebrows as all of those victories took place when the pageant was held in London, leading some to suspect that the U.K. could have benefited from its “home court” advantage.

Nevertheless, the U.K. has won three other Big Four titles, all of them awarded in Japan. T4. India (8 Titles) Via financialexpress.com Title Winners: Reita Faria (Ms. World 1966), Sushmita Sen (Ms. Universe 1994), Aishwarya Rai (Ms. World 1994), Diana Hayden (Ms. World 1997), Yukta Mookhey (Ms. World 1999), Priyanka Chopra (Ms. World 2000), Lara Dutta (Ms. Universe 2000), Nicole Faria (Ms. Earth 2010) India has won three of the Big Four international pageants, lacking only a Miss International title. The country came ever so close to winning a Miss International crown four times — 1960, 1997, 2003, and 2013 — with the country’s bet being named 1st Runner-up in those years. However, the country has made beauty pageant history by being the first nation to twice hold more than one of the Big Four titles simultaneously.

India first achieved the feat in 1994, when Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai won the Miss Universe and Miss World titles, respectively. The country then duplicated the achievement in 2000, when Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra were named Miss Universe and Miss World, respectively. T4. Puerto Rico (8 Titles) Via nydailynews.com Title Winners: Marisol Malaret (Ms. Universe 1970), Wilnelia Merced (Ms. World 1975), Deborah Carthy-Deu (Ms. Universe 1985), Laurie Tamara Simpson (Ms. International 1987), Dayanara Torres (Ms. Universe 1993), Denise Quiñones (Ms. Universe 2001), Zuleyka Rivera (Ms. Universe 2006), Valerie Hernandez (Ms. International 2014) Puerto Rico has taken home three of the Big Four crowns at least once, lacking only a Miss Earth title.

It is also among the most successful countries in the Miss Universe pageant with five titles, the most recent one coming in 2006 when Zuleyka Rivera won the pageant held in the United States. The following year, the Miss Puerto Rico pageant was featured in the international news after allegations that a candidate’s belongings were pepper sprayed, thus causing the contestant great discomfort during the competition. In the end, the victim, Ingrid Marie Rivera, still won the crown and represented Puerto Rico in the 2008 Miss Universe pageant. 3. Philippines (10 Titles) Via pinoyinfo101.blogspot.com Title Winners: Gemma Teresa Cruz (Ms. International 1964), Gloria Diaz (Ms. Universe 1969), Aurora Pijuan (Ms. International 1970), Margarita Moran (Ms. Universe 1973), Mimilanie Marquez (Ms. International 1979), Precious Lara Quigaman (Ms. International 2005), Karla Henry (Ms. Earth 2008), Bea Rose Santiago (Ms. International 2013), Megan Young (Ms.

World 2013), Jamie Herrell (Ms. Earth 2014) The Philippines is one of only three countries to have won each of the Big Four titles at least once, the set having been completed in 2013 when Megan Young became the nation’s first Miss World. In fact, that year was the country’s most successful in terms of international beauty pageant performance; the Philippines won both the 2013 Ms. World and 2013 Ms. International titles, while it placed 3rd Runner-up in the 2013 Ms. Universe pageant and within the top 8 of the 2013 Ms. Earth pageant. 2. United States of America (14 Titles) Via internationallybeautiful.wordpress.com Title Winners: Miriam Stevenson (Ms. Universe 1954), Carol Morris (Ms. Universe 1956), Linda Bement (Ms. Universe 1960), Sylvia Hitchcock (Ms. Universe 1967), Marjorie Wallace (Ms. World 1973), Karen Brucene Smith (Ms. International 1974), Katherine Patricia Ruth (Ms.

International 1978), Shawn Weatherly (Ms. Universe 1980), Christie Ellen Claridge (Ms. International 1982), Gina Tolleson (Ms. World 1990), Chelsi Smith (Ms. Universe 1995), Brook Lee (Ms. Universe 1997), Alexandria Mills (Ms. World 2010), Olivia Culpo (Ms. Universe 2012) The United States may only be second in terms of the number of Big Four titles won, but it places first with its number of runners-up: 55. U.S.A. also holds the lead in the number of Miss Universe winners a country has produced with 8, the first being Miriam Stevenson in 1954 and the last, Olivia Culpo in 2012. And perhaps it’s only fitting that the United States does so well in international beauty pageants. After all, it’s recognized as the birthplace of such competitions.

In 1926, the International Pageant of Pulchritude, featuring candidates from various countries, was held in Galveston, Texas, and the event is said to have served as the model for the modern international pageant as we know it today. 1. Venezuela (21 Titles) Via nickverrreos.blogspot.com Title Winners: Susana Dujim (Ms. World 1955), Maritza Sayalero (Ms. Universe 1979), Irene Sáez (Ms. Universe 1981), Pilín León (Ms. World 1981), Astrid Carolina Herrera (Ms. World 1984), Nina Sicilia Hernandez (Ms. International 1985), Bárbara Palacios Teyde (Ms. Universe 1986), Ninibeth Leal (Ms. World 1991), Jacqueline Aguilera (Ms. World 1995), Alicia Machado (Ms. Universe 1996), Consuelo Adler (Ms. International 1997), Vivian Urdaneta (Ms.

International 2000), Goizeder Azúa (Ms. International 2003), Alexandra Braun (Ms. Earth 2005), Daniela di Giacomo (Ms. International 2006), Dayana Mendoza (Ms. Universe 2008), Stefanía Fernández (Ms. Universe 2009), Elizabeth Mosquera (Ms. International 2010), Ivian Sarcos (Ms. World 2011), Gabriela Isler (Ms. Universe 2013), Alyz Henrich (Ms. Earth 2013) There is wide agreement in beauty pageant circles that Venezuela is “queen” when it comes to performance in Big Four pageants. And rightfully so. With its 21 titles, the country is way ahead of all others and is, in fact, the only nation to have won all of the Big Four titles at least twice. This dominant performance is undoubtedly fueled by Venezuelans’ unparalleled love for beauty pageants. Two thirds of the country’s population have been reported to tune in to the final of the Ms.

Venezuela beauty pageant, where the country’s representatives to the Big Four are chosen. In fact, when the 2005 edition of the Ms. Venezuela broadcast was momentarily interrupted by a televised speech from the country’s president, thousands of enraged viewers in Caracas banged on pots and shot guns into the air in protest. However, those in charge of the Venezuelan beauty pageant scene have faced heavy criticism from the international press. In 2014, for example, the BBC aired Extreme Beauty Queens: Secrets of South America, wherein the country’s shocking practices for preparing its beauty pageant contestants were revealed. These preparations included extensive cosmetic surgery and even sewing a plastic mesh onto the tongue to control eating behavior. 10 Miss World Facts You Probably Didn’t Know 10 Miss World Facts You Probably Didn’t Know by Pranay Das Miss World is the oldest beauty pageant in the history and it is still going strong. Being one of the biggest and most popular event of the year, it grabs media attention around the world. It is a prestigious event, for which many people wait round the year. Let’s take a look at 10 Amazing Miss World Facts That You Probably Didn’t Know. 10.

Dethroned/Resigned Winners The pageant has its share of shocking moments . Throughout its history, it remains the only one of the major international pageants with two winners resigned or dethroned. One of the first shocking moment came up in 1974 – UK’s Helen Morgan was crowned Miss World 1974 (24th Edition), but resigned four days later on discovery that she had a child. The next one came in 1980 – Germany’s Gabriella Brum was crowned Miss World 1980 (30th Editon), Brum resigned after 18 hours of her reign, initially claiming her boyfriend’s disapproval, and later stating media pressures regarding nude pictures of her as the reasons. We would really like the organization to take the bigger step and take a broader stand beyond the fact that a winner is a mother or a transgender or has appeared nude at some point of her life. What matters is the fact that to know her point of view to life and what changes she intends to bring to the world with her reign. 9. Miss World Facts – Most Wins Venezuela has the most wins in the pageant’s history with a total of six wins.

It started its winning streak in the year 1955 (5th Edition) and has continued with the years 1981 (31st Edition), 1984 (34th Edition), 1991 ($1st Edition), 1995 (45th Edition). Its latest win came in the year 2011 (61st Edition). The winners in chronological order are Susana Duijm, Pilín León, Astrid Herrera, Ninibeth Leal, Jacqueline Aguilera and Ivian Sarcos. 8. Oldest & Youngest Winner Miss World The oldest winner so far has been Aneta Kręglicka of Poland who won the title in the year 1989 (39th Edition). She was 24 years 244 days old at the time of her win. The youngest winner has been Wilnelia Merced of Puerto Rico, who won the title in the year 1975 (25th Edition). She was 18 years 39 days at the time of her win. 7. Most & Least Delegates The number of delegates varies from year to year.

The year which saw the least number of countries participating in the event was the year 1952 (2nd Edition). The winner for this year was May Louise Flodin of Sweden. The year which saw the most number of participating countries was the year 2013, were a whopping number of 127 countries participated. This year saw the win of Megan Young from Philippines. 6. Biggest & Smallest Gap There have been many instances when a country has won more than once. What is interesting is the time interval between the wins of a single country. The longest gap between two wins by a country is by Peru. In 1967 (17th Edition), Madeline Hartog-Bel of Peru was crowned the winner, and after a gap of 37 years, in 2004 (54th Edition), María Julia Mantilla of Peru won the title.

The record for the shortest gap is shared between three countries – In 1951 (1st Edition) and 1952 (2nd Edition), Sweden’s Kerstin Håkansson and May-Louise Flodin were crowned respectively; in 1964 (14th Edition) and 1965 (15th Edition), UK’s Ann Sidney and Lesley Langley won the title respectively and in 1999 (49th Edition) and 2000 (50th Edition), India’s Yukta Mookhey and Priyanka Chopra became Miss World respectively. 5. Win At Home Country So far, seven winners have been crowned in their home country. In 1961 (11th Edition), UK’s Rosemarie Frankland ; in 1964 ,(14th Edition) UK’s Ann Sidney; in 1965 (15th Edition), UK’s Lesley Langley, in 1974 (24th Edition), UK’s Helen Morgan and in 1983 (33rd Edition), UK’s Sarah-Jane Hutt were all crowned in UK.

In 2007 (57th Edition), China’s Zhang Zilin and in 2012 (62nd Edition), China’s Yu Wenxia were crowned in China. 4. Longest & Shortest Reign Since Miss World event does not take place on the same date every year, therefore, not all the winners get the exact same time of reign. The longest reign by a winner in the pageant’s history has been by Sweden’s Kerstin Håkansson, who won in 1951 (1st Edition) on 29 July 1951 and crowned her successor on 14 November 1952. In other words, she reigned for 1 year, 3 months, 16 days. The shortest reign so far by a winner has been by Venezuela’s Ivian Sarcos , who won in the year 2011 (61st Edition) on 6 November 2011 and crowned her successor on 18th august, 2012. In other words, she reigned for 9 months, 12 days . 3.

The Firsts (Miss World) Some winners apart from winning the crown also set some records – Sweden’s Kerstin Håkansson became the first European to win the title when she became Miss World 1951 (1st Edition) Egypt’s Antigone Costanda became the first African and the first from a Muslim-dominated country to win Miss World Title when she became Miss World 1954 (4th Edition), Venezuela’s Susana Duijm became the first Latin-American and the first from Americas to win Miss World Title when she became Miss World 1955 (5th Edition), Jamaica’s Carole Joan Crawford became the first Caribbean to win Miss World when she became Miss World 1963 (13th Edition), India’s Reita Faria became the first Asian to win Miss World Title when she became Miss World 1966 (16th Edition), Poland’s Aneta Kreglicka became the first Eastern European to win Miss World Title when she became Miss World 1989 (39th Edition), Nigeria’s Agbani Darego is the first Black African to win Miss World Title she became Miss World 2001 (51st Edition) and China’s

 Zhang Zilin the first Miss World of East Asian origin when she won Miss World 2007 (57th Edition).

2. Winners Who Won Sub-Titles There have been some winners throughout the history of the pageant, who alongside winning the main crown, have won several sub-titles too. China’s Zhang Zilin of (Miss World 2007, 57th Edition), Russia’s Ksenia Sukhinova (Miss World 2008, 58th Edition) and Philippines’ Megan Young (Miss World 2013, 63rd Edition) won Miss World Top Model . Ireland’s Rosanna Davison (Miss World 2003, 53rd Edition) and Gibraltar’s Kaiane Aldorino (Miss World 2009, 59th Edition) won Miss World Beach Beauty. China’s Yu Wenxia (Miss World 2012, 62 Edition) won Miss World Talent. Turkey’s Azra Akın (Miss World 2002, 52nd Edition) won Best World Dress Designer (Spectacular Evening Wear).

Venezuela’s Astrid Carolina Herrera (Miss World 1984, 34th Edition), India’s Aishwarya Rai (Miss World, 1994, 44th Edition), Venezuela’s Jacqueline Aguilera (Miss World 1995, 45th Edition) and India’s Diana Hayden (Miss World 1997, 47th Edition), all won Miss Photogenic. India’s Diana Hayden (Miss World 1997, 47th Edition) also won Spectacular Swimwear. 1. The Origin The origin of Miss World is very interesting, as it was planned to make this an annual regular event. In order to honour the swimsuit introduced at that time, this event was created. It started off as Festive Bikini Contest in 1951, but the media panned it as Miss World, and it did for good. When Eric Morley, president of the contest, came to know about the upcoming Miss Universe contest the following year in 1952, then he decided to make it an annual event. And the rest is history….

Question: In 1983 Sarah Jane Hutt was the last UK winner of which title?
Answer: Miss World